V for Victory

Deployment 2

2011-09-23T13:34:00.002-06:00

I have posted too many pictures of the last four months. Kelly is packing for Doha Qatar right now. He leaves pretty soon and will return the beginning of December. I hope to be more regular in my blogging since he wants a picture of Daphne everyday. Safe travels my dear. We will really miss you.

August

2011-09-23T13:33:00.004-06:00

August is actually not as hot as July. Anyway, we spent the first week of it in Las Cruces, which is the best kind of vacation for me. Daphne has lots of family to entertain her and I have all sorts of freedom to take off. Kelly enjoyed seeing his parents and helping his dad around the yard. Karl had a big scare when he got over heated and passed out. We didn't take any pictures! The pictures I have are from Cami.

At home she looks so cute in her big M&M shirt. She loves to "read' her books to herself sometimes.

She thinks Kelly's phone is hers...his is from like 1999.

If I ever open the fridge with Daphne inthe room, she makes a run for it to get the grape drawer open. She loves grapes and can even pick them off the vine herself.

The big family event was Alyssa's baby blessing. It was fun to have everyone there!

My sisters are hot, don't you think? So are my sisters-in-law. For some reason I don't have any pictures of them!

this guy is single and looking to marry!

July

2011-09-23T13:22:00.003-06:00

We didn't do much in July but the day-to-day things. We left the end of the month for NM. Here are some random pictures of July

She likes to take her "tat" everywhere. Kelly bought her another one just in case we lose this one.

This is cool-sequence of photos when she stands up and pushes while walking for the first time

Can't get enough of greycoat

Like I said-little messes. she was even eating the raw oats!

Officially clapping hands!

June

2011-09-23T13:07:00.001-06:00

Lots of pictures because it includes our little girl's first birthday party. It combined with Kelly's birthday and it was a great excuse to finally get friends over for a BBQ.

I competed in my first sprint triathlon in June. It was really fun! I want to do another one.

Kelly got a grill for his first real Father's Day-we've really enjoyed using it.

My Laurel, Tesla, graduated and received her YW recognition award. Here we are at her house with a surprise party to celebrate.

Girl's Camp! It's different here in that leaders only come up for skits and devotionals and then leave. I was bummed about that initially, but when it was 95 degrees, no A/C and 90% humidity, I was ok with it.

Daphne the queen of messes. For any of who wonder what this mom does all day-cleans up after Daph (we play a little too. )

And we go swimming

Which is great for wearing kids out

And eat lots of watermelon in GA

Happy Birthday little Daphne! celebrating at Monkey Joe's

First scooter from Grandma Wood

I completely weaned her a week or so after her 1st birthday. FREEDOM! Though, I miss my nursing appetite and energy expenditure

Miss Carrot-likes to chew on carrots especially when she gets a new tooth

I caught her getting into her birthday presents...

Happy First Birthday-right after she wakes up

Playing with her toys-she does this almost every morning for about 30-45 minutes. We change her and give her milk and she's set to play...highly recommend this. This is usually when I work out since Kelly is still home.

After she ate breakfast, we went on a bike ride to the elementary school nearby to swing, another Daphne favorite

Playing at Monkey joe's on her birthday

Her birthday meal favorites: beans, avocado, cheese, watermelon, and milk

Joint party for Kelly and daphne: Hello Kitty theme!

Got this recipe online

Had lots of fun decorating

Another favorite: chasing "tat"

Swimming at the party

Carter and his Dad-neighbors and friends

The Bells-god friends from church

Miss Party girl was not too happy that night. She didn't want to eat anything but watermelon and cried when someone else at it until she got it.

Chocolate chip cake for Kelly and Hello Kitty for daphne

And she also cried when it was her turn to do the pinata

Hasn't had candy yet so we gave it to friends

After about 30 minutes of refusing to eat her cake, she finally tried it and thoroughly enjoyed it!

May

2011-09-11T14:48:00.000-06:00

In May we saw the cool weather disappear completely. We tried to get in as many outside days as possible.

Enjoy the pictures!

At the firehouse for a play date with some moms and friends. Daphne had little interest and enjoyed screaming a lot that day.

Here she is with her friend Sia...they are sharing a toy.

What a big truck!

The firemen gave each kid a hat and we still play with it.

Kelly began his first big word working project: a headboard for our guest bedroom. I'm impressed with his skills with no training.

His new work station in the garage.

I planted our first garden at the end of the month. Kelly was very kind to let me begin this new project that isn't very cost effective...I really enjoy gardening, especially flower gardening. New hobby.

We went to the park with Kelsey and Blake

We discovered a place called Monkey Joes that Daphne goes crazy for...it's a place with lots of bounce toys. She loves it. She should be 3 years older!

Kelly and I were sick with the flu so Daphne got to play by herself all day...kind of. The house was destroyed. She did enjoy watching Cats 101.

We met up for lunch with Dad. I love doing this.

We babysat Everett so his mom could go to the Doctor since dad was deployed.

We babysat Sia and Ori so their momma could have a break since her husband was also deployed!

The geese decided to walk near our lawn. The poor lawn struggled in May since it was so dry in the south!

we celebrated Memorial day by going to Atlanta...Daphne is wearing her braves shirt here.

Kelly got to help clean up a nearby Tornado with our Stake.

The YW had their camp fundraiser Spaghetti Dinner!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2011-05-08T17:54:00.003-06:00

April was a fun and BUSY month. Here are some things we did:

The Atlanta Temple Youth Cultural Celebration. With the costumes done, the dance and music learned, and the host families and other logistics ready to go-18 of our youth headed to Atlanta on the 29th to participate in the celebration for Pres. Monson. You can see our ward below. Don't they look sharp? Because tickets were limited, I watched it later and I will say, they looked pretty good. For personal reasons, my favorite video is here. Gotta love Newsies. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our youth. I am glad they got to do this. Although it was hard work for MANY people, they really bonded and did something worthwhile.

Easter Sunday-Daphne's first of many. No pictures in her dress, sorry! I just don't have patience for that sometimes, especially if it's nap time. Kalli and I played our violins in my ward and then she and my mom helped me teach the lesson in YW.

I filled her eggs with quarters-one for each tooth she has.

Daphne has learned to chase Greycoat ALL over the house. In return, she laughs and starts crawling really fast EVERY time Kelly or I walk behind her because she thinks she's being chased. It's quite comical because sometimes we're just walking from room to room.

We went to Savannah with mom, dad, and Kalli for a night before Easter. Here we are watching a big ship with goods come in from the East. It was something I've never seen before.

We ate at the "Olde Pink House" in Savannah. Food was very yummy and nice. If you've read Scarlett, I think this is where the author gets her inspiration for the home Pierre Robillard lives in (Scarlett's grandfather)...

Mom and her yummy veggie wrap

It was a beautiful building. It was also a hot day. Mom was so happy she got to dip her feet in the Atlantic ocean for the first time!

They arrived Wed. night and we decided last minute to go to the temple open house in Atlanta. My grandma and grandpa McCuistion served their mission in this temple, so it was neat to visit it with my parents. I am glad it has re-opened as it will allow us to visit more often. My sister in law Katie received her endownment here. So, there are ties in this temple. Kelly and Daphne were at home since Kelly worked late.

Me and Birday

And yes, we are the only people in civilian clothes. I think we looked like we weren't LDS. My whole ward was there at the time because it was our day to volunteer, so I was a little embarrassed, but I soon forgot to be since I was in the temple.

Daphne likes to stare out the window...don't worry, I do take her outside if I'm feeling extra nice.:)

She is so happy after naps.

Daphne and I went to NM for a VERY short trip-3 nights and only two full days-to surprise Kalli. To surprise her, my mom walked outside to find Kalli with Daphne in arms and Kalli said "who is that baby? Is that Daphne?" Then I showed up and we all hugged and cried. It was fun. Kalli gave us Russian booties which I wear all the time.

The tears were from the 5 sisters. It was the first time we'd been together in a long time. Here we are in our pajamas and glasses with no makeup watching old videos we made and probably on Facebook.

My mom hired some spa ladies to turn her bedroom into a ladies spa where we were treated to a massage, pedicure, and/or facial for only $20 each (I'm sure we only payed part of it). Here is Grandma Hakes thoroughly enjoying her pedicure. It was a nice treat! Kalli was told she had the worst feet. I guess trudging through many feet of snow in Russia will do that to you.

Here is Daphne enjoying her cousin Clayton. Clayton is very good with kids. Unfortunately Daphne had a fever and was sick most of the time so she was a little clingy.

With Hailey and Cora. What beautiful girls!

Grandma got Daphne to be happy by showing her glasses. If I come in to Daph's room in the morning with my glasses, she immediately notices and tries to take them off. It's like she's saying, "these look weird on you and I don't recognize you." So, I'm hinting at Lasix, Kelly.

Precious moments

Not so happy right now. I love Lucas in the background.

To brag about Kelly: He passed his check ride, which is his final flight meaning he received his wings and is officially and Airborne Intelligence Officer. He passed the German Language test so we can continue to receive a little income for that, and he passed his PT test. All of this was done in one week. So to celebrate, we had hamburgers...of course. The military life can be very challenging, but I feel very provided for and I am very grateful for that.

And no, we haven't had enough rain showers.

Currently in May, I am planting a garden, Kelly visited AL to clean up tornado wreckage,

we had the temple dedication, we've both had the flu, Daphne and I visited the firehouse with

some friends from Playgroup, and we're getting ready to go swimming. It's fun living in GA.

March!

2011-04-02T17:34:00.005-06:00

March is long, but it seemed to fly by! Here are some March highlights:

Practice, Practice, Practice! Our temple district is preparing for the ATL temple re-dedication on May 1st and President Monson has asked the youth to present a cultural celebration of dancing and singing. As a result, my YW presidency and I have taken the HUGE task to lead our YW in learning a "cheer" dance. Luckily we have help from other wards! It has been a mixture of crazy and fun. It is hard work, but I have seen girls bond with each other who otherwise would not-this is where I feel the prophet was inspired. We have become more unified in our ward as a result. It is difficult to feel close to each other when your ward covers FIVE different counties. Here is the link to what we are doing, if you care enough to look. :) http://www.creativewarehouse.com/atccresources.htmlandhttp://maconstake.weebly.com/
Kelly and I decided to get our money's worth with our great babysitters and go out DURING the day while Daphne was AWAKE. It was SOO fun. We leisurely shopped, ate, and worked out. I think Daphne enjoyed being in the company of someone other than her mom and dad for a change.
Daphne and I have been enjoying the nice weather. We've met some friends at the park a few times.

Sia and Daph

Love this thing

This is what greycoat does...

I re-organized my crazy Office closet. I use it all the time and it was getting on my nerves. I guess that's what you work on when you have a new house, re-organizing closets. Ha ha. We did hang an additional shelf. It was more work than I anticipated, but I really like it now. Kelly is preparing to build a dining room table for us. http://ana-white.com/plancatalog

Before + a little mess

AFTER

We visited Karl and Janelle at the ATL airport. They were on their way to visit Kelly's brother and wife in London and had a 4 hour layover. It was SO fun to see them. We ate some good southern food and hung out till they had to leave. The older Daphne gets, the harder it will be to live away from grandparents-so this was a treat.

Grandma and Daph

Daphne turned 9 months old on the 29th. She has 4 teeth and likes to chew on EVERYTHING, including me (and I'm still nursing). I truly find it amusing to watch her discover the world; everything is so interesting to her. Her favorite things are greycoat (she will crawl long distances to get the cat, but the cat is much faster), the vacuum, the broom, trash cans, and shoes...unfortunately all gross objects. I was wondering when she would discover Greycoat's kibble...it didn't take long. She likes that and the rocks in the fireplace, so we've made some adjustments to our home! At this point, she'll eat anything I give her, so I'm bringing on the vegetables and introducing all age-appropriate foods, including ones I don't really like. I love being her momma. Sometimes the two of us just laugh on the floor for no reason.

Holding hands w friend, Caroline (10 days apart)

Happy 9 months!

Just "helping" mom with the dishes

waiting outside Grey's room

KALLI ANNA returned from Yekaterinburg Russia! YAY! I wish I could be home. I have called my mom everyday to see what they are doing...silly. She was an amazing missionary. I am so glad she is home now. Mom said Carrie keeps looking at her and saying "sorry if I'm staring, I just can't believe your home." Ah, Birday.

The conflict in Libya. This affected Kelly's work for a weekend, and maybe it will later. I am amazed by the willingness of the armed forces to go over and do whatever is asked of them. It's very respectable. I just hope what they are being asked to do is worth it.
The earthquake in Japan. What a horrible disaster. I feel bad, but the most immediate effect it has taken on my life is that World Championship Figure Skating has been postponed or cancelled (TBD).

What a month-till April then!

February

2011-03-03T12:15:00.004-07:00

The weather in Georgia has been amazing! We have enjoyed 60s and 70s and even 80s with some humidity. I went with my friend to the park one day to swing with Daphne and it was divine. Daphne and I have been riding bikes together since I got my bike and trailer. I love it!

Daphne and her friend Everett in too big swings

The highlight of February would have to be our trip to Charleston. We went over President's Day weekend. We had trouble finding a good deal bidding on Priceline and realized why when we got to Charleston. It was the annual Southeastern Wildlife Expo...must be a hit because it was busy! We stayed downtown to avoid long car rides into town with a baby. We arrived Saturday around 5pm and went straight to Jestines. Last time we visited Charleston with Carrie, we ate there and really liked it. It didn't disappoint. I got their pecan crusted chicken sandwich and Kelly got a Oyster Po Boy. A couple was very nice and let us have the bigger table so Daphne could enjoy herself more.

Afterward we walked around a bit and headed to the hotel room. Daphne was tired and we were ok to head back. We decided traveling with a baby is totally different because you go to bed earlier since there is nothing to do. And we really were ok with that.

The next morning we went to church. It was a nice ward with lots of visitors. Afterward we stopped at 5 Guys to eat a burger before heading back to the hotel to take a nap. The nap didn't happen so we headed out to catch the ferry for Fort Sumter. Well, we thought walking would be quicker and it wasn't. We ended up walking about 2 miles while carrying Daphne just to miss the ferry. It was nice seeing the downtown though. We walked our way back through Market Street and I bought an ice cream. We headed back to the hotel for a little bit before going to Fleet Landing Restaurant for dinner. Daphne was very charming. We walked around the pier and the French Quarter afterward. It was so beautiful outside.

Monday morning I slipped out of the hotel room early to let Kelly rest since he was flying the next day. I took Daphne back to the pier and it was soo beautiful. It was around 7am and the only other people out there were dads or moms in pajamas with their kids. It made me laugh to myself. I picked up Dunkin Donuts on the way back. I ran back to Market Street and bought a few souvenirs. I realized to late I could have haggled more. Oh well.

We checked out of our hotel room and headed to Fort Sumter. It was lovely. The ferry was crowded, but it was a great history lesson. Daphne fell asleep in my arms which she never does. We were getting ready to head home when I realized my phone was missing. After an hours search with a very patient child, we found no phone. It was very sad. A week later I have a new phone-thank heavens for upgrades.

Daphne loves to drink water from a straw. Or to drink water period.

She loves to smile for the camera to. And also for the mirror.

Kelly bathing Daphne in the hotel sink!

Flower garden near the pier

My little darling

There is something magical about that carrier

The pier in Charleston

Fort Sumter

Coming back into Charleston from Fort Sumter

Daddy/daughter who look so much alike!

Our third anniversary was March 1st. To celebrate we went to Ruby Tuesday's without Daphne. Our neighbor watched her free of charge! It was a quiet dinner! I made homemade ice cream in our soft serve machine that I got from Kelly for our wedding. We hadn't done that in a while. I also got out Rockband to play, something else we haven't done in a while. We were too tired to play though...ha ha.

As we settle into March, we are seeing a new Daphne. She is less happy. It makes me kind of sad. I'm wondering if it is related to her constant thick runny nose and watery eyes? She doesn't seem to have a fever. Or, maybe she getting older and knows what she wants more? Either way, she keeps me on my toes! She is crawling all over the place and I've caught her standing in her crib...yikes! She is very precious though and I think I love her most when she is curled up asleep in child's pose...now I know why they call it that.

Kelly is training on the JSTARS now. His flights are intense but he is doing well. He will finish in a couple months and we'll hear more about deployments then. I'm still waiting for him to get his POW training photos developed...hopefully soon.

January

2011-01-23T19:22:00.005-07:00

So, we've considered giving up the blog over the last few months. I mean, we never really post. Up until this week, neither computer was working. Our desktop is still a little out of commission. I can't believe how much I need a computer. A little Droid doesn't accomplish much but browsing. Anyway, I don't keep a blog book because I do photo albums, and when I do post, it takes me well over an hour ...but, I do love reading family and friends' blogs so I guess it's not over yet. It's a creative outlet that I can get into sometimes. Plus, I feel so far away from everyone living in GA, and I don't want to! BTW, I really like Georgia.

Kelly is easy going about moving, but I think he'll like it more when his job becomes more fulfilling. He is spending the month at Fairchild AFB in Washington State for Survival School. He spent the last week trudging through the snow living on little calories and sleep. This week he will be tortured and learn the proper way to resist...poor guy. He'll receive good pampering when he returns next weekend. I'm excited for him to see Daphne!

Meanwhile, I've been hanging out with Daphne and some friends and trying to keep busy so I don't miss him too much! Here are some cool things that have happened this month:

Snow in the deep South-very rare. So rare school was canceled for two days! It was canceled up North in Atlanta for a week! Do you see the smallest snowman ever on the windowsill?

Another small snowman, but bigger than his brother. Since school was canceled some of the YW came to my house to hang out with me and play with Daphne. It was so fun! The house was full of noise which was a nice break from just me and Daphne. Plus, they built these two snowmen.

Daphne ready for church in her cape from her daddy. Church without Kelly is an interesting experience. He usually takes care of her for me so I can run around doing stuff...absence makes the heart grow fonder, and it also makes one realize how helpful their spouse is! Also, pat on the back for parents at church with young kids.

"We seek after these things" theme for New Beginnings complete with this beautiful cake made by Tallie Bell!

And-I recommend "Minute to Win It" for a church activity or family game. It is soo fun! We played as a family at Christmas, courtesy of Katie and Melissa. I decided to do it for the Joint Mutual this month and everyone loved it. Even the ones who usually come because they have to got involved for at least the Oreo one and were laughing...yay!! Prayers are answered.

The Holidays

2011-01-23T18:12:00.006-07:00

I don't blog enough to ever get the picture loading thing right! It's all in reverse order just so you know! But it goes back to Halloween. Thanksgiving we spent with Kelly's parents here in Warner Robins. Yes, I cooked my first meal, but Janelle and Karl did most of it and they did great! I loved having them here (and Kelly and daphne did too of course). Christmas was spent in Las Cruces. Some other pictures of the cabin with the Hakes family are on FB. New Years we spent back home in good ol GA. Enjoy!

Nutella and banana goodness please!

Crepes on New Years Eve! Yum yum. Our new tradition. "Traditiooonnnnnn! Tradition!"

Kelly took these when I wasn't home-I found about 15 different photos. That's less than last year. :) I love my hubbs.

Love this little hat made especially for Daphers by her dear Aunt Carly.

Lighting luminarias at the Woods' home

Dear Grandma Wood is so good to Daphne!

Dear Grandpa Wood with his granddaughter. He found someone who likes TV more than he does!

Us with dear Grandpa McCuistion

The Hakes gang

Kelly did a great job on the Chrismtas lights-it took him all day. He put the lights up very evenly with plastic hooks. I was very impressed. I insisted on the red light (a Kim Hakes specialty) and wanted to put a green one in too but couldn't find one-next year.

Christmas tree-right before our flight to New Mexico

Family photo 2010

Momma/daughter

Daddy/daughter-he only let me take this one picture

Peach ice cream and cobbler

Southern Lanes visitor Center

The whole cat family + Elvis. Kelly had to buy this last year for squadron initiation when he was in Vegas. We're just getting our 80 bucks worth.

As you can see, she just loved her headpiece!

Cute Video

2010-11-08T11:18:00.002-07:00

Daphne has gotten so big and grownup! She is 11 lbs 7 oz as of last week's doctor appointment. She is also 23 1/4 inches. She falls at the 10-25%ile for both of these, although nearer the 10th for her weight. Even though she is little, she has more than doubled her weight since birth! Yay!!

She is laughing all the time now and we are crazy about it. She is also a big thumb sucker. It is so cute to find her in her crib after he naps sucking her thumb. She is taking a bottle really well on the nights I am gone for church, which is a blessing. She loves our attention so much it is getting harder and harder to nurse her! We'll keep at it, though. She will probably enjoy Thanksgiving Day with a bit of rice cereal. Last Friday Kelly and I went out to eat at a place called Firehouse Subs. It's very good. While there, we let her lick a piece of our bread and she liked it! Oh, how fun it is for a dietitian to begin feeding her child. :)

I am staying super busy with my calling-which is so fun-and some friends I've made here! Kelly began training (finally) for his new job. He is learning how to detect dots. Just kidding-that is what he told me and then I made him explain. It's much more complicated than that. To make it short, he is learning to detect unusual activity on a map and then send the intel to other units in the Air Force/Army. It is something he will to in Afghanistan when he deploys next year. :(

We are having our first babysitter come this weekend. We're not sure what to do-maybe just take our time doing whatever.

Below is a cute video of our little girl.

I Love this German Apostle

2010-11-02T13:35:00.003-06:00

Listen if you have time...it's about 20 minutes.

2010-10-23T19:21:00.004-06:00

Yep. Another growth spurt. Although I know it is good and important for Daphne to have these, it's kind of tiring for me. We're glad it came now so she can bulk up for her four month appointment in one week....yay for Daphne!

She's pretty cute though.

Blessing Day!

2010-09-19T14:45:00.004-06:00

We had a blast in Las Cruces!!

Some fun memories:

Blessing Daphne-daddy did a great job!

Free babysitting-Kelly and I dared to get ice cream and eat lunch alone-maybe when we visit in October, we'll go see a movie...maybe :) (Thanks Janelle!!)

Seeing lots of family!

Daphne's fist plane ride...she did as good as you can expect a 2 month old to do

Showing off Daphne's smiles, cooing, pooping, and rolling over skills

Kimball took us to the lake and I skied for the first time in two years! Kelly also got up skiing, and he said he had done it once in his whole life, and that was in high school...way to go!

Tubing=sore for several days, as well as sunburned.

Thanks Mom for watching Daphne, thanks Kimball for taking us and Carrie and Meese and Josh for coming, and Melissa K for letting me borrow her breast pump!!!

Kelly ate Jake's green chili cheeseburger and felt sick for a while-yet he wanted another one the next day-I love him!

Going to Zumba with the girls!

Learning to be more flexible as a mother-important

Fun vacation left us grateful and tired-traveling with a baby is lots of work!

We are doing it again in October-are we crazy?

Look at her hands!! She was extra sleepy that day.

The Hakes clan. Missing the Bluths, Birday, and the Burleson Hakes'

The Hakes' and the Woods

Photo Shoot

2010-08-17T19:27:00.004-06:00

We had pictures taken of Daphne when she was 9 days old. They turned out great. It was one day before her umbilical cord fell off, so you can still see it in some of them. I think she'll enjoy looking at these someday. These photos were done by Lindsay Gray photography. Click here for her website.

Today is my Due Date! Craziness!

2010-08-13T07:25:00.005-06:00

Ah, Motherhood. It is life changing which equals scary, wonderful, and hard all at the same time. The last six weeks were great, but a challenge for me. I'm sure most new moms can relate. I am glad we are at this point now. It gets better and better each day. She is more interactive and even gave me a few social smiles this week. It was great! She is still keeping me up at night, but that is okay, she is getting longer stretches sometimes. I am grateful to be a stay-at-home mom. Kelly got home from work a little early this week so I could go to a workout class on base. It was so fun! Someone in the class brought their baby that seemed about Daph's age and she started crying. When that happened, I melted and left the class early to go see her. Ha ha, pathetic, but it's true! Some things she does that we love:

Calms down when I sing to her (she is wondering what that horrible noise is)

Curls up on dad's chest

Is happy most days (cross my fingers)

Plays well in her crib

Looks like her dad

Sleeps with her arms up like an adult

Is learning to use her pacifier, which has ended up being a great thing to sooth her!

Has grown to 6lbs 9 oz at her one month appointment and probably weighs closer to 8 lbs now!

Kelly will be at survival training for the month of September, so...I booked a ticket to Las Cruces for a week. Thank heavens for family and Kayak.com for cheaper tickets. I can't wait to show her off! Poor Kelly, though. we will be blessing her the following month in Las Cruces as well.

Greycoat is often jealous/curious.

Avoiding Georgia bugs!

Ha ha. This is funny and cute.

Sticking her tongue out at her friend, the turtle.

They look a lot alike.

Censored bath time, which she loves. It calms her down a little because at night, she gets fussy.

I want matching outfits, and this was the best I could do.

The Plan

2010-07-11T17:29:00.004-06:00

Here are some photos of our new little girl.

Sleeping

Our little firecracker! Nothing fits this little girl.

Grandma teaching me how to give her a bath. So cute in her hooded towel!

This may be a common pose for newborns, but she looks so cute doing it!

Grandma and Grandpa Hakes. Grandpa Hakes was a surprise visit! I loved having them visit. Mom and I got our toenails done. It was so nice to do something together.

Sleepy Heads

Also, I heard this song today by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It made me think of the plan of salvation and how beautiful it is. Below are the lyrics.

In the quiet misty morning When the moon has gone to bed, When the sparrows stop their singing And the sky is clear and red,

When the summer's ceased its gleaming When the corn is past its prime, When adventure's lost its meaning - I'll be homeward bound in time

Bind me not to the pasture Chain me not to the plow Set me free to find my calling And I'll return to you somehow

If you find it's me you're missing If you're hoping I'll return, To your thoughts I'll soon be listening, In the road I'll stop and turn

Then the wind will set me racing As my journey nears its end And the path I'll be retracing When I'm homeward bound again

Bind me not to the pasture Chain me not to the plow Set me free to find my calling And I'll return to you somehow

(softly) In the quiet misty morning When the moon has gone to bed, When the sparrows stop their singing I'll be homeward bound in time

The Miracle Of Life

2010-07-11T17:20:00.002-06:00

Below is my birth story. Sorry it is so long. I wanted to remember most details for my journal and for Daphne. I am going to post some pictures later this evening.

Sunday morning, the 27^th, I was having some spotting and mild cramping. Kelly told me I wasn’t allowed to go to church and to stay off my feet. I did so, and started feeling better. That afternoon, however, I felt slightly worse and decided to call my OB and get his advice. He stated it was likely nothing to be concerned about. I felt more at ease and thought I would feel better come morning. I asked Kelly for a blessing to feel less anxious. I was worried our little girl wasn’t doing okay and needed some reassurance.

The next morning, I felt much better. I decided to do a light workout, very light. I went about my usual day, but mid morning I was cramping again. It felt like menstrual cramps, so I had no idea it was real labor. I felt it on and off all day. It wasn’t pleasant, and it was uncomfortable. Because I was worried, I called the OB again, and this time spoke to a Nurse. She repeated most of what the doctor had said the previous day and was confident it wasn’t labor. I had an appointment the following day, so I again was assured.

That night I asked Kelly to make dinner because I really wasn’t feeling great. He ordered pizza. J It was a relaxing evening, despite the cramps. I took a hot shower hoping they would stop, and it did temporarily. Not an hour later, I felt the cramping again and more spotting. Looking back now, I think to myself, you idiot, how could you not know you were in labor! It was just too soon. I wasn’t due for 6.5 weeks, so the thought of actually being in labor was crazy to me. Kelly and I made several jokes that day about Daphne coming so early. Despite all this, we just didn’t think it could actually happen this way. My pregnancy had been very healthy.

About 9:30pm, I told Kelly I just wanted to go to bed. We decided to lie in bed and watch The Magnificent Seven, an old western. The cramping continued. A couple of weeks prior, we downloaded an application for my Droid that times contractions. Jokingly, we decided to time my cramping. I even called my mom to let her know my concerns. I had avoided this all day because I didn’t want to sound overly concerned. She felt the same way the Doctor and Nurse did. It just didn’t seem likely that I would be in labor. I explained to her that my cramps felt like menstrual cramps and they were located in one area, my lower abdomen. One thing I learned in this is that contractions do not feel the same for every person. My mom said her contractions were all over, including her back. I had some back pain, but it was mostly in my lower abdomen. Now that I look back, I realize these “cramps” started small and increased in intensity, climaxed, and then decreased in intensity. Now, if I hadn’t been so in denial about going into labor, I would have realized they were true contractions.

Anyway, at 10:45pm Kelly and I are lying in bed, watching Magnificent Seven, and jokingly timing my contractions on the phone. After about 5 cramps, we realized there was some kind of pattern. They were coming 5-7 minutes apart and lasting for 60-90 seconds. A red flag began to wave. I decided to get some rest, but as soon as I did, I felt my water break. It was now 11:45pm. Now, without getting into details, having your water break is a very odd feeling. I knew it had to be my water breaking because I had never felt anything like it before. We called my mom back, and she said I needed to get to the hospital “STAT.” She said they would probably try and stop Daphne from coming since I was so early. I remember thinking, “great, I am going to be stuck in the hospital on bed rest for several weeks.” My sister did the same thing when her water broke early. My sister-in-law was also in the hospital for several weeks with twins.

However, as soon as my water broke, I began to have VERY intense contractions. The earlier contractions were very uncomfortable, but these were very painful, take-your-breath away. I tried to focus and breath, but I didn’t have enough mental preparation yet. I was 33.5 weeks pregnant for heaven’s sake! My plan all along was to go natural, and I was preparing for it by taking a natural childbirth class, reading about it, and trying to learn relaxation techniques. However, I had only been to this class once by this time. And, these contractions were coming very fast. My mom was on the phone and I remember her saying, “you’re having another one? You need to get to the hospital!”

Kelly was great. He thought quickly while I was doubled over in pain. He grabbed me a change of clothes, the camera, the phone chargers, and the car seat. I don’t know how he thought so fast, but I am grateful for him. We raced to the hospital, which was 25 miles away in Macon, GA. We called my doctor and was told to wait and hear b.ack from him, which we never did until he showed up in the delivery room. I decided I should time my contractions. They were three minutes apart at this time. Quickly they jumped to 2 minutes apart. By the time we arrived to the ER (at 12:30am), they were 45-60 minutes apart. Kelly dropped me off at ER entrance. I feel bad now that I cut in front of everyone else in the ER. They wheeled me up to the OB unit and made me sit there and sign in! Finally they checked me and said I was dilated to seven centimeters. The nurse left the room and Kelly and I could hear them talking about the baby being very low.

The next thing I know, they were wheeling me into the delivery room. All of a sudden, the room was full of people. I wasn’t paying too much attention because I was in pain, but Kelly said he was shocked by how many people were in the room. There was the Resident MD, my main nurse, Kristen, a couple of other nurses, and members of the NICU team because Daphne was premature. As soon as I arrived in the delivery room, I was checked again and told I was dilated to 10 cm! This baby was coming tonight. It wasn’t until this moment that I realized I was having a baby tonight.

Some things that happened in the delivery room: they gave me an IV with antibiotics in it since I hadn’t been tested for Strep B yet. They told me it was too late for any pain relief which gave me mixed feelings. The Resident MD asked if I could wait for the on-call OB doctor to show up before having the baby. I said flat-out “no, I haven’t even met this guy. You can deliver it, right?” I knew she could because my brother is a resident and has delivered several babies. She said she could. Kelly stood on my right side and let me grasp his hand very firmly. He gave me encouraging words, but mostly him letting me firmly hold his hand helped me. My nurse on the right, Kristen, was awesome. She explained what they were doing to me.

And then it was time to push. The contractions came less often as I began to push, every 3-4 minutes or so. Pushing didn’t feel as great as I was told it would. The only reason I liked pushing was knowing it would soon be over! The on call OB came in soon after I began pushing. He let the resident do most the work. I think I pushed for 10-15 minutes before my little girl came out. She had a head full of dark hair! The doctor estimated she would weigh 3 pounds, but as soon as I saw her, I knew she had to be about 5 pounds. She was 5 lb, 2 oz and 18 inches long. I wasn’t allowed to hold her right away because she was premie. It was kind of anticlimactic for that reason. The NICU team had to check some things before they gave her to me. I only waited a couple of minutes, but it seemed like forever. But then they placed her in my arms, and it was soooo surreal. I think I was still in shock at this point. Kelly and I just looked at each other with the thought “is she really ours?”

Over the next 24-48 hours, I slowly began to realize how blessed we were that Daphne was so healthy. She came out breathing on room air with the ability to eat without a tube. She had high scores on the APGAR tests, and left Level 2 nursery within 12 hours. They never had to supplement formula in the hospital because I was able to get some colostrum in her and her glucose level went up. Breastfeeding at home has brought challenges. I have learned to pray a lot about simple things, like how to get your daughter enough to eat or how to wake her up. I have learned patience; with much more to learn I am sure. Life isn’t about me or Kelly anymore; it’s about someone else who relies totally on us. It’s an adjustment, but it brings with it some great feelings of love and sacrifice. I also feel closer to my Savior and Heavenly Father. I am grateful he has given us the blessing of raising one of his children. She’s fresh from heaven.

Kelly and I are very grateful for our little daughter, Daphne Cathleen Wood. She sure surprised us, but we are glad she came when she did.

What, I'm in the Thirties!!

2010-06-13T17:09:00.005-06:00

No, I don't mean my age. For some reason, it hit us that I am 31 weeks pregnant now. Wow, time flies! Actually, when I think about finding out around Thanksgiving time, I am reminded at how long a pregnancy really is. I'm still not feeling any rush to have this little girl. The more we settle in, the more ready I do feel. Kelly isn't feeling any rush either, but that doesn't mean we aren't excited! Her name will be Daphne Wood, not sure of the middle name yet. Thanks all for voting! Since I was so horrible at posting picture of my growing bump, here is a blog post dedicated to memories of our pregnancy thus far.

Jump ahead to 31 weeks pregnant! This is today. Yay for growing baby. She is going to be at least 7 pounds, I propose. Hopefully not nine! Kelly and I were both in the nines. I'm prepping for epidural-free labor. I just want to be prepared for anything to happen. Preparation has calmed many of my fears about childbirth. Still to come, pictures of the nursery.

Yep, its a girl! This is 16 week sonogram.

Kelly made a couple burp cloths for Daphne! He had never sewn before. They look great!

18 weeks pregnant!

It actually said it was a girl! Sorry that it's a picture of my pee. We tested this at 15 weeks. Accuracy is about 70%.

Yay for Intelligender! $30 at Amazon.com.

House Hunting at week 14. Having a feel good day.

Entry on our Adventure to Georgia!

2010-06-13T16:15:00.004-06:00

Wow, I have wanted to post some baby pictures for sometime now, but have not! Let me give you an update on what the Woods have been up to the last couple of months. April, we went toHawaii for one week as a last hoorah before Daphne joins the family (yes, her name is Daphne).

First of May, I finished working at South Davis Community Hospital. I miss my co-workers. I made good friends and loved the experiences I had there. I loved having the opportunity to work and help save for our beautiful home. They threw me a fun party before I left!

May 5th, movers packed up our apartment and sent our stuff to Georgia for two weeks storage. May 8th, we moved out of our apartment and into the TLF on base (temporary lodging facility). It was "pet friendly" to allow Greycoat, so a little ghetto as you can imagine. She hated staying indoors for one week. During that week, Kelly's parents came up and we got to hang out with them and Chris, Carly, and their family. Kelly’s parents drove one of our cars to New Mexico, which was very nice! Sunday, the 15th, we waved good-bye to South Ogden, UT. It was hard saying good bye to so many wonderful friends. We hope to stay in touch with all we met there. We stayed in Orem that night and Mitch and Pam’s home. It was nice to see them and Katelyn and Matt before heading out. The next day, we made the long journey to Las Cruces.

Wonderful times in Las Cruces! We saw lots of family and had the baby shower with good friends from there. It was great to see everyone. While there, I got a horrible flu, and then gave it to Kelly, my mom, dad, Kimball, and Colin. Did I miss anyone? Fun stuff. It didn't stop us; we were only a third of the way to Georgia.

Sunday, the 22nd, my mom, Kelly, Greycoat, and I in both of our cars loaded down with lots of stuff traveled to Carlsbad, NM to see the Bluth family. This is when Mom got her flu, our one day in Carlsbad. Sorry mom! It was a bad case of stomach virus. She stayed quarantined in her bedroom while Kelly and I hung out with Cami and the kids. We drove around Carlsbad and looked at different lots Cami is considering building a home on and then ate lunch at the Pecos Restaurant. I loved living a day in the life of Cami-she is a busy mother and woman! Kelly and I went to the Caverns that afternoon, something I had never experienced before. Lots of walking, but amazing sites! I cannot believe it is all natural.

Mom recovered mostly by the next day (Tuesday), so we headed toward Burleson, TX. This is where the fun begins, and I don't just mean the fun of seeing Katie and Joe and kids (which was so fun!!). On the way to Burleson, I called the moving company to let them know AGAIN that wewould be in Warner Robins, GA on Friday as planned and to go ahead bring our stuff from storage. Well, their report was that they had been slammed and they could only unload Wednesday (the next day) or we'd have to wait two weeks for our stuff!

After much debate and thinking, we decided Kelly would stop in Burleson for dinner only and then drive all night to make it by 10am when the movers planned to bring our things. AHHH! My mom and I considered going too, but I realized I am not great at staying awake since being pregnant and my mom doesn't drive well at night. We had a nice evening with Joe and Katie and kids. Joe had the night off and Katie made a wonderful dinner for us. It was so fun to see them. Katie is due a couple of weeks after me, so we got a picture of our belly's kissing (kissing cousins).

Poor Kelly. I set my alarm to call him every hour throughout the night. He did well staying awake. He listened to Rumors of War by Dean Hughes, one of my favorite novel series. He said it actually kept him awake. He made it to Warner Robins (WA) just in time to get the key to our lovely new home and meet the movers. Meanwhile, mom and I get up at 530 and take off on our adventure to Georgia, the same drive Kelly just made.

Woops, though, because Kelly has the GPS. My phone has GPS capabilities, but loses battery power quickly and I left my car charger in Las Cruces. Let's just say that a 13 hour drive took us 16 hours! We got lost several times in shady and non-shady parts of Alabama. It's a miracle my mom and I are still talking this day. Just kidding. But, Dad and Joe saved the day by guiding us through parts of Alabama over the phone. We arrived to our beautiful home at 10pm that night and found Kelly zonked out on the couch after a long 36 hours. It was very cute. Greycoat held her pee all 16 hours-good cat. We missed being able to hang out with the Blancs in Shreveport. We hope to see you soon!

Kelly was promoted to Captain the weekend we arrived! It is very exciting to leave the ranks of Lieutenant. He doesn’t start his training for this new job till November, which means he has lots of free time at work and can help out when the baby comes. Not sure why the AF does some things it does.

Since our arrival, we have been busy making our house a home. Mom was here for a few days and helped out a lot. The responsibility of being a home owner leaves us overwhelmed at times. Plus, we don't know anything about Georgia climate or bugs, which seem to be our greatest challenge right now. There are some strange things growing out there. We love having a place of our own in a cute neighborhood. Our ward seems great. The church is true wherever you go, which is great. I love that no matter where you go, the people in the church have the same goal as yourself; they just have different situations, blessings, and trials along the way. We all learn from one another.

One of the weird things growing in our backyard. Any clues?

It really gets green here! If only there weren't so many bugs and it wasn't so humid, I would love to go in the backyard!

Google Map of our Route to Georgia.

View Larger Map

How to Sleep without spending $50?

2010-03-21T18:43:00.002-06:00

Ok, so I am not supposed to sleep on my back anymore. So, what do you experienced mothers recommend? There is something called a snoogle. Is that necessary? My friend has one and she loves it, but maybe it isn't necessary. It might be nice for when I am bigger, though. Thanks for the tips!

February/Mustache March

2010-03-16T20:58:00.011-06:00

It's been a big month for us. First, we flew to Georgia and picked out our first home. After driving around and going inside a few dozen houses, we finally picked the 2nd house we looked at: 206 Cheshire Drive

At the end of February we also found out the gender of our baby. It is (probably)...a girl! Now comes the hard part--picking out a name. Our top 4: Anneliese, Jane, Meg and Daphne. As terrible as we are at making decision, I'm not sure we'll ever pick one.

Cassi finally has her baby bump (kinda, sort of, and only if you know her and she's wearing something tight around the stomach). This is her a week ago when she was 18 weeks pregnant.

And Kelly is celebrating the air force tradition of "Mustache March" by sporting a hideous mustache and generally looking like Paul Blart.

Three Good Films

2010-02-03T20:48:00.005-07:00

We recommend...

The Gathering Storm

4.5 Stars

Das Boot

4 Stars (Cassi), 4 Stars-at least (Kelly)

And, Winston Can't Meow

5 Stars

A Good Day

2010-02-03T20:01:00.011-07:00

So, I felt almost GREAT today! Why? I have no idea.

I didn' t have to take Zofran-not like Zofran gets rid of my nausea completely

I craved a Keva Juice...so badly

I didn't know how to get one

I didn't have my car today because I carpooled

But, my awesome boss let me borrow her car to fulfill my craving. THANK YOU!

I made dinner all by myself tonight

And ate 3 square meals for once.

Let's see what tomorrow brings

I could be ushering in the nausea/vomitting-free 2nd trimester

Or, I just had a good day and tomorrow is back to normal

I have a feeling I'm not out of the water yet

Either way, I feel very blessed and want to say

BRING IT ON.

Not to mention, I am blessed with a good husband

Who dumped my recycle without even asking

And filled my car with gas

Picked up my prescription

And was kind when I didn't cut his hair correctly. You're the best my dear.

Photo by Katelyn McCuistion Risenmay

At this stage of our dating, did we know we'd be parents together? It's hard to imagine.

Let's Throw a Baby in the Mix

2010-01-11T20:02:00.005-07:00

Most of you know, but Kelly and I are going to be parents! Our current due date is August 13th. If the military moves us, it will be Georgia baby. We are both so very excited! Kelly would love a girl, but would love a boy too, and I don't care. Well, some days I want a girl, and others a boy. It depends on the mood, you know. :)

After being sick today, I decided to write some things for which I am grateful:

The double bagged trash can in my office that caught my puke
A private office
Only having to talk to 3 patients about food today
The perk of free beverages and refills at work so I could sip Sprite all day
Saltines
Boiled eggs, for some reason
Text messages from Mom and Kelly
A pregnant co-worker
Sleep!
Knowing that being sick means baby is healthy :)
Kelly, because his excitement for being a dad reminds me to be excited
And the black market nausea meds I got from my sister-in-law...haven't used em yet, but getting close!

Week 10 coming up on Friday...can't wait for Trimester 2! It'll be fun to start showing! Despite how I sound, I (and we) feel very blessed to soon become parents.

I promised Cassi I'd post this...

2009-12-30T23:05:00.005-07:00

Pumpkin Carving...A Little Late

2009-11-15T18:53:00.006-07:00

We have a had a busy Fall this year! Kelly gave me a wonderful birthday. I was still adjusting to my job, so I was a little stressed on my birthday, but I guess that is the life of an adult. I think I am more adjusted now. I finally feel like I know most of my patients, and there are several (over 100, maybe 130), which really helps me know what I am doing at work.

Kelly is working with the 4th Fighter Squadron now, which is a different job for him. I think he likes it. He works with pilots most of the day. He enjoys the classified information he gets to teach them. Kelly is a news junkie, so his job is good for him...mostly. :) We are both excited for Georgia. We have been looking at houses online!

Yesterday, we got to see our friend, Emily Alley, and meet her adorable son, Johnny. He finally spoke to us as we were leaving. He said "bye." It was so good to see Emily. We love her and Johnny.

Halloween weekend we were in Arizona for my aunt's funeral. What an emotional family experience it was and continues to be. She was so loved. The Stake Center was full to the stage and back. We love the Haught Family and still think and pray for them. Family is what it's all about.

We finally carved pumpkins this year. As you can see, we still love our cat. We dyed eggs in June and carved pumpkins in November. It is the way of this Wood family, I guess! I feel so grateful that Kelly is here for the holidays and my birthday. It may not be this way next year, who knows.

The other two pix are for fun.

Kelly is so happy when she does that.

Yeah for Snuggies! Ha ha. A gift from Kelly for my bday.

Kelly did most of it. I supported.

The cat has already broken off. It doesn't help that is has snowed.

Cheesy picture of the finished product. :) That's the apron my sister-in-law, Katie, gave me.

The Woods went down to Georgia

2009-10-28T22:07:00.007-06:00

We're moving to Georgia! I found out today that we'll be PCS'ing (aka moving) to Robins Air Force Base outside of Macon, GA. There I'll be flying on the back of a JSTARS plane (see below) and doing something intel-wise. So, instead of staring at a computer on the ground, I'll be staring at a computer at 40,000ft.

It wasn't our first choice of places to move, but I think we're both excited. I'm excited to try out a new job and eat every day at Waffle House. Cassi is excited to quote Gone With The Wind non-stop. And Greycoat is excited to meow with a Southern accent.

Conference Weekend

2009-10-04T20:54:00.003-06:00

Conference was wonderful. Besides being able to watch from home, put away other tasks for the weekend, and eat good food, we heard inspiring messages from the Lord's Prophets, Seers, and Revelators. I felt very inspired by all of the talks. Some of the messages I loved were about working hard, stewardship, recognizing sin as sin and not trying to make laws to cover it up, missionary work, and protecting and uplifting the family. I also love listening to talks and thinking about other people I love listening, and hoping they find strength in what is being said.

It's also amazing to think other members of the church around the globe are listening to the same message for similar reasons. It is unifying. And lastly, the music is wonderful. I feel very good when I hear the hymns sung by the choir.

This year, Kelly and I watched at home together. On Sunday, we drove down to SLC to watch the last session in the Conference Center with my sister Meesa, her "friend" Colin, and her roommate and friend, Natassja Hill. Colin is getting baptized next Saturday, so this was a special day for him. Conference is a unique part of our religion, so it was great to see his reaction to it. He was amazed by all of the Mormons. He is from New Mexico. OK, so here are some pix from today.

It was very cold and rainy by this time. Good ol' Utah

Meesa and Colin

Plus Natassja-love the hair, Natassja!

Kelly and I saw the photographer who takes picutres for the Ensign walking around. We kept trying to make good poses so he would come our way. He walked by us twice and we walked by him several times, but he managed to avoid us and find 3 other families/people to take pictures of. I told Kelly to wear his uniform next time. Kelly says we aren't good looking enough.

We should find out pretty soon where we PCS (move) to. It seems as if all of our plans lie in that decision. So, we are waiting...but still very excited and nervous to find out. I love this time of year!

For Some Reason...

2009-09-15T22:45:00.003-06:00

this video reminded me of the Haught Family.They always put the important things first-Family. You are awesome, Tash. You are tough and sweet and good. Jen, you are so strong. Houston, I love you chooter. I love all of you, even Dallas who never can remember if my name is Kalli or Cassi (it's Cassi BTW). I love you so much Aunt Cathy. I have a little necklace you gave me for my bday years ago that has a "C" charm on it. I look at it and think of you. You are the toughest of all. I love my Kelly too and our families. I am grateful for temples.

Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons

2009-09-13T18:40:00.004-06:00

Kelly and I went to Yellowstone/Grand Teton National Park Labor Day weekend. We are moving next year, so we need to take advantage of the beautiful things nearby before we end up in Clovis or something. Here are some of my favorite pictures. I had more, but blogspot was acting up. I am just amazed by the beauty in these places.

I love the way they sit and their wet chins!

Loved seeing this too!

Kelly and Old Faithful. It wasn't as cool as we thought, but impressive because it shoots off ever;y 90 minutes.

Just amazing. I hope Yellowstone never blows.

The Grand Tetons!

Hiking near Jenny Lake

Daddy Moose, aka Bullwinkle

Kelly is in Vegas for 18 days, which is much better than Afghanistan. I get to see him next weekend too. He is working Green Flag with the fighter squadron, which will give him some good experiences. I hung out with my not-so-little sister Meesa (she is going to BYU) last night and today. We had fun going out to dinner and chatting. She is so beautiful and grown up!

We put in our list to PCS this week. Kelly’s commander forgot to submit it on the day it was due (great), but he got it in two days later with a good recommendation. Some of the places are UK, Denver, Florida, West Virginia, Nebraska, San Antonio, and many others. We aren’t holding our breath for the UK, but we’d love it. We will like any place, though. It'll be an adventure. We’ll keep you posted!

Yeah, yeah, yeah

2009-07-29T12:28:00.005-06:00

Some exciting news in our family...I got a job as a full time Registered Dietitian! Yay! It is at South Davis Community Hospital in Bountiful. Not to bore you with the details, but basically I will be in charge of making a nutrition care plan for each patient, which ranges from pediatric to geriatric.

Also, Kelly likes his new squadron. He has better hours (so far), which we were not expecting. He also gets to research current intelligence and present it to pilots, which has always been the favorite part of his job.

The two of us are adjusting to me working. Kelly has been very helpful with the housework, landry, dishes, etc, since I am no longer home all day. Tomorrow we take our first dive together since I started taking scuba. It is at the Crater in Heber City. I am a little nervous, but I need to do this to become certified. I am glad Kelly is coming.

In other news, two weekends ago we went to Huntington State Park and Price,UT for a Wood Family Reunion. The Lake reminded me of Caballo and I felt nostalgic. We had a blast. All of Kelly's brothers and families were there. They came from CA, South Africa, New Mexico, UT, and Boston. Below are some pix.

The Family. Too bad greycoat isn't in the picture. :)

Eating lunch at Huntington State park

Ginny and Lucy. Ginny caught a crawfish and was showing it off when Lucy picked up a rock to show off too.

The storm coming in. A lot of what we brought flew off the tables while we were racing to get out of the water.

It was a hot day, so the water felt GREAT.

"Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time"

2009-07-08T23:20:00.006-06:00

This is a video Cassi and I liked. Although we're not having an especially hard time right now, it's a good reminder that many people are, and a good kick in the butt to get us to help them.

Stupid blogger.com cuts off the right side, but I think it still gets the message across. Anyone know how to make the blog wider?

Born the on the 4th of July

2009-07-03T20:21:00.008-06:00

Happy 4th Of July!

Kelly and I made a list of why we love America:

(feel free to add your own favorites)

1. We call Crepes "really thin pancakes" just to tick off the French

2. Public trash cans

3. Activities such as demolition derbies, rodeos, and state fairs which come with very interesting people and fattening foods such as fried oreos

4. Free refills and drinks that come with LOTS of ice

5. Sasha Cohen, Shannon Miller, Kim Zmeskal (that's for you, Carrie), Kristi Yamaguchi, Michelle Kwan, Carly Patterson, etc.

6. The best dang ice cream

7. Free public toilets (Kelly says "good toilets")

8. George Washington, Ben Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, all of the founding fathers, Abe Lincoln, Susan B Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas, Ronald Regan, FDR

9. The Prophet Joseph Smith; freedom of religion

10. The Rockies

11. Iowa corn

12. New Mexican chilie

13. Monsoons

14. California oranges

15. Hawaiian pineapple

16. Everyone else has silly accents

17. We invented the internets

18. Aaron Copland, Charles Ives, Frank Lloyd Wright

19. F-16, 15, B-52

20. Country music

21. Statue of Liberty, Grand Canyon, White Sands, California beaches

22. And-We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

"They Say It's Your Birthday!

2009-07-01T09:15:00.008-06:00

You're gonna have a good time..."
Happy 27th Year of Life, Kelly!

Some things Kelly accomplished last year:

First year of marriage

First deployment to Afghanistan

First cat-greycoat

First time back to visit his mission in Germany
I don't know how those turned into "firsts"

I am sure there are more, but that gives you an idea. Kelly renewed his altitude training course recently, so next week he will probably fly in a jet! That will be his first time in a while. He also moves to a fighter squadron soon, hopefully next week. We are careful not to rely too much on Air Force plans. :)

Today, Kelly may receive his first gun. I am a little nervous about the prospect. This is why we have been talking about it for a few months. It is rare for us to do things spontaneously, especially not a gun purchase. But hey, what is the point of being in the military if you can't have a gun of your own?

Our cat brought a dead mouse to the door yesterday, which is a sign of love and that she is trying to impress us. I guess she knew it was his birthday. It was too gross to take a picture, but you get the idea. I am grateful that Kelly is here and that we are married in the temple forever. I am grateful he has the priesthood. And, I am grateful we can both have nerdy interests (Harry Potter, WWII, Axis and Allies, Rockband, cats/animals, etc.). So, Happy Birthday Kelly!

Happy Father's Day...and Mother's Day

2009-06-21T16:59:00.005-06:00

Happy Father's Day Dad!

I also say Happy Father's Day to my Grandpa McCuistion, my brothers, my father-in-law, brothers-in-law, and my dear husband who will someday be a dad. I also say thank-you to my Heavenly Father who blessed me with a wonderful family.

I won't be too cheesy, but I wanted to tribute this post to my Dad, Kim Hakes. I also tribute this post to my mom for a late Mother's Day post. I am not too eloquent with words, BTW. Enjoy, mom and dad!

When I was little, my dad taught me to jitterbug. Here we are doing it on my wedding day.

My Dad (and Mom) is the reason I was able to go to and graduate from college. He was so supportive, both financially and emotionally.

Dominoes, that and Mormon Bridge are classic games we played at home or at the cabin growing up. Dad and his mom, Grandma Hakes, often taught us how to play. The best part is when dad makes corny jokes and then says "the jokes never start" instead of "the jokes never stop."

This is one of my favorite memories of being home while Kelly was deployed. We just jumped into the car and went to see "Swing Vote" and then grabbed some pizza afterwards. Favorite memories with dad and the fam are going to see movies and eating out or BBQ at home. Dad is so easy-going about what we do.

My dad always treats my mom well. They are best friends, and they still hold hands when they go out! One of my favorite stories is even when they had 4 or 5 or so kids (they had nine total), they would still go to the hospital and look at the newborns through the window. They love kids and they love us!

Mom and her two grandaughters, Hailey and Julia. There are two more due this year. She is a wonderful grandma. I am always amazed at how she bonds with each grandkid. She even bonded with my cat when I was living at home, and she already had a cat. I think the best description is she has a mother heart.

Before I married kelly, I went to mom with most problems and frustrations. She is good at solving problems and she is very inspired. She was so understanding when Kelly was deployed and I was living at home again, which was weird at first. I also have fun with her when we go to curves or get cones or take walks. Growing up, I loved my summer "date" with mom. I also love getting together with my sisters and mom now. Love you, mom.

I also want to say that I have a wonderful mother-in-law. Janelle is so thoughtful. When Kelly was gone, she often invited me over for dinner which was a great change of scene. We also went out to eat together and had lots of fun. She is also a wonderful Grandma!

Happy Father's Day to Karl, Kelly's dad, too. He took me shooting for my first real time. I am excited to see what else Karl will take us to do that I have never done: fishing, Alaska, who knows? He is a great husband and father.

Tying Up Loose Ends

2009-06-09T16:07:00.010-06:00

Yeah, it has been sometime since we have posted...woops. Blogging is kind of like journal writing. You want to do it and you know what you should/want to write about, but when you don't for whatever reason, it is overwhelming to catch up and so you avoid it for a while. The good news is I finally got journal writing down! Here are some random pictures/info from what Kelly and I have been up to.

Even though we aren't parents, Kelly made me a mother's day meal and such. It was very sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed having Kelly cook b/c I learned how he likes to prepare food. Normally, we cook together or I cook (I like to and I have no job).

Our family picture with our cat, Greycoat or the Coat, or Coto. She kept me company while Kelly was deployed. Kelly insisted on putting this picture in our ward directory, so people probably think we are obsessed with our cat...It was more funny to us than anyone else, probably.

My lovely sistas. Hot stuff. Meesa, Kalli, Me, Carrie, Cami, and little Cora in the womb.

The Hakes' siblings-we'll get Chris next time. :)

Almost the whole gang. I love how Julia is looking at Dad's (Grampa's) facial expression and not the camera, which is what he was trying to get the kids to do.

Kelly's two nieces-a very tired Lucy and a cute Ginny. I like Karl's (Kelly's dad's) smile in this photo.

Our lovely lilies are blooming! Now if I could just get our tomato plant to do something. I don't think our little balcony gets enough sun.

We got back from Colorado Springs last Thursday. Kelly did the altitude chamber for work, and I got to hang out and finally tour the AF Academy. This is us at Garden of the Gods-so beautiful. It was cold and rainy most of the week, but such a beautiful city! I got to see the dining hall that I learned about at BYU in my Foodservice Management class. I also got to meet some of Kelly's friends form the Academy.

Wooh, that was a lot of info! One last thing is that I passed my registered dietitian exam the end of May! Now I will hopefully get a REAL job. It has been so nice to have the time to hang out with Kelly. He starts with a new squadron in a couple weeks which means he will have irregular work hours, but the job should be more interesting.

This is Kelly and I sliding down the mountain we hiked in the Alps of Grindelwald, Switzerland. It was steep and slippery, so we improvised.

Venezia!

2009-04-21T12:24:00.000-06:00

Unlike most people, I didn't realize Venice was mostly situated on water, minus industrial Venice. In order to get to our hotel, we had to park in a parking garage and take a ferry to our hotel. After that, we either had to take a water taxi or the hotel "shuttle" to get across the water. It was crazy! A couple of words to describe Venice: romantic, great food, ancient beauty, and water. We were very impressed with Venice and liked it even more than we thought we would. Even though it was a couple extra days of driving, we feel it was very worth it.

Beautiful Venice. The view at the Rialto station.

Sorry it is blurry; I took it. This is the residential area and the canals are lined with boats. No cars, no bikes.

Kelly in Venice in the morning.

I was amazed when I saw this; foodservice deliveries Venice style. I don't think those boats have climate control.

Kelly couldn't resist taking this picture. The boat was full of Asians and they were waving and smiling and taking pictures of us during their ride.

Our Gondola ride. We felt like we couldn't go to Venice and not take a Gondola. Althought it was fun, it wasn't our favorite thing we did there and it was expensive. It did show us Venice up close. Our favorite thing was walking around for a couple of hours that night. The town is full of bridges and beautiful buildings which look great at night. See below.

This sums up our walk that night.

Europe in a Nutshell

2009-04-19T08:46:00.000-06:00

Kelly and I just returned from a 2 week vacation in Europe. The purpose of the trip was to celebrate Kelly being home from Afghanistan (yay!), but to also visit the cities Kelly served in during his mission, which was the Frankfurt, Germany mission. Kelly and I plan to post a little exerpt from our trip each day for the next couple of days. We flew into Munich at 9am and went straight to McDonald's to eat lunch. FYI, Germany does not have ice cream cones at McDonald's. Then, we headed for Dachau, the site of a concentration camp during WWII. I know what you are thinking, what a great way to begin the trip! I am a nerd for WWII history books, and Kelly kind of is too, so it was interesting for us to see.

The gate translates in English as "Work Makes Free." It was an ominous sign to read as we entered the camp. Wearing my red jacket, I felt like the little girl on Schindler's list.

This picture shows the enormity of the camp, as well as the drap buildings and grey, cold sky. I can only imaging how many cold days these people endured here.

Behind Kelly on both sides are the two remaining "barracks". Behind those are rows and rows of foundations for barracks that used to be there. Inside the barracks are rows and rows of bunk beds that they were crammed into.

On a lighter note; we travelled from Munich to Salzburg the next day. Salzburg: the home of The Sound of Music and Mozart. Here is one of the homes Mozart lived in. We watched Amadeus after touring his home.

This is me "dancing" in front of the statue where the kids and Maria danced during the "Do, re, mi" song. We looked for this forever, and then we realized we had walked past it twice already.

And this is some random cow advertising The Sound of Music in downtown Salzburg.

Coming Home!

2009-03-18T10:03:00.002-06:00

This is Kelly receiving his awards for serving in Afghanistan: Operation Enduring Freedom. He said he gets about seven (?) medals. That is awesome! Good job Kelly! Welcome Home!

He received these medals while at Bagram AFB. He was there for 4 days before he flew to Manas, Kyrgyzstan. From there he flew to Turkey, Germany, and then Baltimore. He stayed the night in Baltimore last night. He flew out this morning to first Cinncinati and then Salt Lake City. He arrives at 16:09 or 4:09pm. I will get a gate pass so I can meet him right when he gets off the plane. We are so excited to be together again! It has been an interesting first year of marriage, but still very wonderful. Don't you just love the holster and the gun? So cool.

This is something I am proud of. I designed and decorated this bulletin board for my internship. I am now done with my internship, well just a few odds and ends to finish.

Thanks to mom who helped me haul all of mine and Kelly's belongings in our new apartment. We moved several boxes for three days, but then had the Elder's quorum move the furniture. Kelly's family helped us move out last July. Here we are returning the U-haul early in the morning and it was cold!

Lastly, this is a farewell sort of night out with my parents and sisters. I love Ruby Tuesday, and the company was great too. :) I loved being able to spend time with my family and Kelly's family while Kelly was away. Thanks everyone for being so supportive and good to us!

Some Catch Up

2009-02-08T21:23:00.001-07:00

Kelly and I recently found out we will see each other again on March 17th! Yes, only one (ish) more month. We have now lived apart longer than we have lived together in our marriage (6 and 5 months). It is kind of funny/irritating, mostly the latter. However, we know it could be worse.

This weekend I went to CA with Kelly's mom to visit his brother and sister-in-law and cute nephew. I used to feel weird hanging out with Kelly's family without him there, but luckily I have great in-laws and feel very welcomed! This is one of the nice parts of the deployment, getting to know his family. Sorry, I didn't take any pics, but they did, so maybe I will post some later.

Here is a picture of Kelly, however. This is the little church he goes to in Afghanistan. We are grateful the church is there. Oh, I received a really kind letter from the office of the First Presidency. It surprised me completely. They thanked us for his service. It meant so much to me because I often wish there was more guidance for deployed families. Anyway, thank you to everyone who serves our country, or who has given someone for it.

More from Qatar!

2009-01-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

Touring Dohu! It looks very Middle Eastern to me.

The city of Dohu.

Yes, there are even kitties in Qatar!

Qatar!

2009-01-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

Kelly went to Qatar for his week long R n' R. He is still there, actually, and he is enjoying no work, McDonald's, free phone and internet, a bigger BX, touring the malls in Dohu, and hopefully going to see the sea.

This is a look inside a C-17 cargo plane. It's pretty no-frills, but was relatively empty, so we actually got to lay down on the floor and take a nap for a couple hours.

Here are some "trinkets" kelly bought at the mall in Dohu. One us a Koran holder, which is very Islamic.

He ran into his co-workers from utah, Michelle Sharpe and Scotty Andreasen. They were heading back to the states from Iraq. That will be Kelly in 2 months!

Thankful for News!

2008-12-05T23:01:00.001-07:00

The internet is mine and Kelly's main source of communication during his deployment. We email each other daily, and Kelly can comment and post pictures on our family website. I can also send Kelly pictures via the internet. So, as you can imagine, we are on the computer a lot! Here are some recent happenings for Kelly in Afghanistan, and me in Las Cruces and Mesa.

Kelly said: I went to FOB Blessing in the Konar Province. I went there to have a short meeting with their intel guys, but was only on the ground for like 40 minutes before someone came and got me and told me I had to get on the flight out ASAP or be stuck there for the night due to poor weather. So, I didn't get any pictures there, but here are some from a place we refueled. Blessing was beautiful. It was on the hillside surrounded by huge mountains, terraces, and the viillage, but I didn't have time to take any pictures there. Here's one from the area though: http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/01/afghanistan_slideshow200801?slide=2

This is me at Asadabad, waiting to get back on the Helicopter. In the background is an AH-64 Apache.

I thought this was funny. We had to get off the helicopter to refuel, and I thought I heard a baby crying. It turned out to be goats on the hill nearby. This one somehow managed to get on base and ran right by the helo. Earlier that day in Jalalabad, I saw a dog running along the runway.

This is looking into the city of Asadabad

This is the helicopter we flew around in. When I first got to Jalalabad, I saw these things parked on the side of the runway and thought they were broken and no longer in use, but nope, they are the workhorse of the army.

The guy in back has the coolest job. He sits in the back of the helo, dangles his legs over the edge, and mans the machine gun.

2008-12-05T22:21:00.001-07:00

From Cassi...

The Suns v. Heat game on Black Friday. You can see our seats aren't great. Although we were disappointed Nash was out, the game was still lots of fun.

Big Hakes picnic on Black Friday. My old gang, minus Tash and Leland, and Kelly of course.

We took Hailey shopping with us. She is soo cute.

Kalli and I at the Carrie Underwood concert in Las Cruces on Nov. 3rd. Kelly is the one who introduced me to her music.

Halloween in Las Cruces with Sarah Palin and a beautiful witch.

A Tribute to America

2008-11-05T21:20:00.001-07:00

Today I wanted to attribute this post to the good men and women who serve our country. I know what you're thinking, isn' that the whole purpose of the blog? Well, yeah, it is. But, when I got these pictures from Kelly, I thought two things:

1), is how grateful I am to live in America. The man below with Kelly, a member of the Afghanistan National Army, was so excited to talk to Kelly and other U.S. military members. Sadly, most of the people in Afghanistan have only known terror, and the rest remember what it used to be like. I am fortunate to have never experienced true terror, and for that I am grateful. I am grateful that I can practice and live my religion here as well. I am also grateful that my husband is willing to go help. He feels better about his service in the military when he is over there.

2), is despite our very different cirumstances, the people in other countries are not that different from me and you. I often forget this. They are also children of our Heavenly Father, which would make them our brothers and sisters.

It may have been the historical campaign results last night that made me feel patriotic, or maybe I just miss Kelly, but I wanted to post these things.

Kelly said: This is me standing at the perimeter wall. Where I'm at now is a little more mountainous and looks like the Southwestern US, actually. I like the nighttime because the base is completely dark and you can see millions of stars and falling stars.

Kelly said: I'm uploading a couple pictures I've taken here at Mehtar Lam. At the end of the day, I went to watch a pickup soccer game with the local Afghan National Army soldiers and some Americans mixed in. I took a picture and this guy saw my camera and wanted me to take one with him. He was funny. Occasionally other guys would come over to us and try to talk to us and show us their radios and guns.

2008-10-26T15:57:00.000-06:00

NEWS FROM KELLY...

Later this week I'll probably go to FOBs Mehtar Lam and Kalagush. Mehtar Lam is supposedly the site of the tomb of Lamech, the father of Noah. I probably won't be doing much sightseeing though. Kalagush is up more in the mountains and is supposed to be really pretty, so I'm looking forward to it.

I saw some video from msnbc the other day that I thought was interesting. It was a series on the Korengal Valley , which is about 30 miles from here. I work at the Headquarters for the unit that is there and it is probably the most violent place in Afghanistan. To see the video, go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27304836 and then click on the "U.S. news" category and then "Military". It's the "On patrol in the Valley of Death" and "Seeing the enemy in Afghanistan". Fortunately, despite being physically close to the Korengal, the security situation here is a world away, so don't be scared for me.

NEWS FROM CASSI...

I wanted to show off my flowers that Kelly got me for my birthday. They are my favorite kind, lily, and favorite color, purple. He had them delivered to Columbia Elementary where I was acting as the kitchen manager for a week.

Things are going well. Kelly is a quarter of the way finished! We got to see each other on webcam twice now, which was very awesome! The guys in the video don't have many opprotunites to do that. We are blessed that Kelly is out of danger.

Life in Jalalabad Afghanistan and on the Homefront

2008-10-03T21:49:00.000-06:00

I am posting for Kelly because he is having trouble getting on this website. This first picture is from his brother Chris. Most of the Wood family cars and Mom Hakes have a blue star flag on it, representing a family member serving in war. We have one on our car. If any Hakes sibling wants one, I know where to get them.

Below are some pictures Kelly sent from Jalalabad. The captions are also from Kelly. We get to email regularly and talk on the phone about every other day, which is better then we previously thought. He is in a public room everytime we talk, and he is using shared phones. The signal on the phone is great, however. He can get pretty much anything he needs, except for family. It is good to know he is taken care of.

This is the best picture I could take of my room. It's pretty much just my bed and a few feet of empty space to the side. Someone before me built those wooden shelves, so that's nice. The room also has an air conditioner, so that's very nice.

This is a bad picture, but I was trying to be discrete. This is the cafeteria aka D-FAC aka chow hall. Here it's all decorated for the air force's birthday. Generally they have a main line with turkey or pork chops or whatever, a grill with hamburgers and hot dogs, a taco or potato bar, salad bar, a bunch of fruit. Also, there are fridges with cans of soda and gatorade and lunch and dinner have a dude who scoops baskin robbins ice cream. It's run by KBR (aka Halliburton) and generally very good with good quality food. It's a thousand times better than the Academy cafeteria and much better than Ft Dix. I'm sure the Army is paying them a fortune, but it's free to us.

This is the place where I sleep. This one is on the end, so you can't see that there are dozens of these lined up real close together. There are 8 of us in here, but it's divided in half, so my part has me and 3 civilian contractors. I'm kinda lucky because my half has 6' high plywood walls in them giving us our own kind of private room. In most of the huts, people have to hang blankets from the ceiling to form makeshift walls. And like most of the base, there is a random pile of rubble.

Count down of 179 days begins!

2008-09-08T22:38:00.001-06:00

We also got to see Charlie, Kelly's brother! He came to NYC on business and took us out to a fancy dinner and showed us around the city. You can see some of the food we ordered. Kelly got a huge Kobe burger and Charlie and I got filet mignon.

Amid other things, we went to the David Letterman show! It was really awesome to witness Dave and the crew behind-the-scenes. Robin Williams was hilarious. Our seats weren't great, but the entertainment was. We also saw Little Mermaid on Broadway and visited Kelly's family in Philly. I was mad at myself for about an hour because I didn't take pictures of that. We Mostly we did nothing, and it was great.

With Kelly's new haircut, he is ready for Afghanistan. This was right before we said good-bye. It was hard.

He will update us all when he arrives in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. This is his itinerary: Leave Tues, the 9th at 12 noon from Fort Dix, NJ on a bus to Norfolk, VA. Arrive that evening and take a charterd airliner at 3am to Kyrgyzstan. Three stops along the way include Canada, Iceland, and Hungary. He will have to stay on the plane. He thinks he may arrive in the middle east (Kyrgyzstan) on September 11th. Ironic, we know. Then he will travel into Bagram air field in Afghanistan on an Air Force plane. Then he will make his way over to Jalalabad, which is the northeast portion of Afghanistan. We will try to post a map. Good luck Lieutenant Wood!

2008-08-23T23:27:00.000-06:00

I know her eyes look weird, but I often find greycoat sitting in my bathroom cupboard. Its kinda cute.
This is me babysitting my cute nephew Harmon. He fell asleep in my lap while I talked to Kelly. He is a good baby.
Janelle and I went to Andele's for dinner together while Karl is out of town, and Kelly too I guess. I brought my camera to take a picture but I forgot. So this is a picture of the food we ate, which is what Kelly and Janelle always get, and it is the food that was also served at our reception. Thank you mom.

More Fort Dix

2008-08-18T15:05:00.000-06:00

So, I'm three weeks into Combat Skills Training now. The first two weeks were relatively great. Easy workdays, days off, etc. The last week has been miserable though. After giving me four days off, the army suddenly realized it was in a hurry and we did 16 hour days. The past three days were spent at Camp Victory, a simulated Forward Operating Base (FOB) in the Jersey woods. It looked a lot like a base with the standard guard towers and barb wire, tent cities, and hummers galore. The conditions themselves were actually pretty nice. Our tent (seen below) had room for 16 and there were only 5 of us, the food was better than it is on Fort Dix, there was a tent withg gym equipment and tv, and there plenty of hot showers. If it wasn't like an oven in our tent, it would have been really pleasant.

The training itself though, was miserable. It consisted of us parroting back the sounds some guy was making for hours on endand calling it "learning Dari" (Dari isn't even the language for the part of Afghanistan most of us are going to). We had many redundant briefings on how to conduct a checkpoint, but they were so poorly taught, and we were so uncomfortable in the heat with all our body armor and gear on, that I still have no idea how to do a checkpoint--not that I or any of us need to. It's a shame, because the soldiers are great dudes, but the army has eliminated any sense of thinking outside the box, or independent thought from them. That's enough complaining about the army for now though.

We did get in a lot of shooting on the M-16 and M-9 though. We did shooting pop-up targets at different ranges, night firing with tracers, and close-quarters combat. And then there was the nightly hand-to-hand combatives class. It was a lot of fun, and a good refresher of the PE classes we had to do at the Academy. It culminated in me fighting my friend 2Lt Erik Chan in front of the group. We started out very aggressive, but neither one of us could choke out the other person, so we just wore each other out.

An exhausted and smelly 1Lt Kelly Wood

Our tent at the FOB

Inside the tent

2008-08-13T21:26:00.000-06:00

This is Kelly with all of his gear. He is wearing his usual ABU, boots, helmet, bullet-proof vest, two M-16s, M-9, backpack, and holster. I know that is not all, right Kelly? He then did " land navigation training" in the heat of NJ. Long hot day.

My Quarters

2008-08-01T21:56:00.000-06:00

Fort Dix, NJ

2008-08-01T20:34:00.000-06:00

This is the building I'm staying. It's an old army barracks and is pretty dumpy. It smells and there's 12 of us per room, but there's free wifi on the borrom floor, so that was an unexpected perk. Every night, you can see dozens of people outside talking on their cell phones. It's pretty funny.

I forgot to take the picture before I ate the hamburger, but this is a typical meal for me.

The bunk I'm staying in. All the stuff at the foot of the bed is mine as well as some of the stuff underneath, stuff in the locker on the right, and another bag you can't see. I don't know how I'm going to get all this crap overseas.

2008-07-18T07:42:00.001-06:00

We wanted to start a blog that documented Kelly's deployment to Afghanistan. He reports 29 July to Fort Dix, NJ for one month of intense combat skills training (CST). He will have four days of leave, in which Cassi will join him in New Jersey, and then he reports to Afghanistan on 12 September. The duration of his deployment is 6 months.

V for Victory was a common phrase in WWII; Winston Churchill often made the sign. When the London Symphony broadcasted on the BBC radio, they chose to play Beethoven's 5th Symphony because of the "da da da dum" rhythm, which translates to V in the Morse code. They played it to inspire hope in those who were living under the Nazi regime and were able to secretly listen to the BBC. It is an inside joke in our marriage, and we thought it was appropriate for this blog.